All mainland states
Blue-banded bee
Amegilla cingulata
Fast, solitary and striped in shimmering blue. A champion buzz pollinator that sleeps clinging to plant stems by its jaws.
Plants they love
- Lavender
- Salvia
- Dianella
- Tomato flowers
Australian Pollinator Week
Plant this card & watch it grow
Every order during pollinator week (7th November -> 14th November) comes with a free plantable seed card, made from bio-degradable paper with bee-friendly flower seeds embedded right in it. Soak it in some water, pop it in some soil, keep it moist and watch it grow into your very own pollinator haven.
01 · Why Pollinators Matter
Our ecosystem relies on our pollinators
Australia is home to more than 2,000 species of native bees. They quietly keep our gardens, farms and bushland growing, but cleared habitat, pesticides and flower-free backyards are making their job harder every year.
That's why every order this pollinator week comes with a free seed card. Once planted, it becomes a patch of flowers, which means food for the bees that live right where you do. Small gardens add up: every pot, courtyard and backyard bed gives a passing bee somewhere to stop, feed and keep going.
Plant your card and help them outWhy bees matter, in numbers
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35%
Bees are responsible for a third of the foods you eat.
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65%
Of Australia's agricultural output depends on bees.
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$14.2B
The annual value of honeybee pollination to Australia's agriculture.
02 · How To Plant Your Card
Your own pollinator haven
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1
Pick a sunny spot
A garden bed, a raised planter or a pot filled with seed-raising mix.
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2
Give your card a soak
Soak the card in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. It softens the paper and gives the seeds a head start.
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3
Lay it flat on the soil
Place the whole card flat on loose, damp soil. There's no need to tear it, because the seeds are spread right through the paper.
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4
Cover lightly & press
Sprinkle a thin layer of soil (3–5mm) over the top, then press down gently so the paper touches the soil everywhere.
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5
Keep it moist
Mist or water gently every day so the paper never dries out. Sprouts usually appear in 1–3 weeks as the paper breaks down around them.
Tips & Tricks
Help your seed card thrive
A few small habits help more of your seeds sprout, and bring more bees to the flowers that grow.
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Mist, don't pour
A spray bottle or a watering can with a fine rose keeps the soil damp without washing the tiny seeds away.
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Shade them on hot days
Young seedlings can scorch in the afternoon heat. On days over 30°C, move pots into morning sun and afternoon shade.
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Keep the birds off
Birds love fresh seed. For the first two weeks, cover the spot with light netting or an upturned mesh basket.
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Thin out crowded seedlings
Once seedlings have a few true leaves, snip the weakest ones at soil level so the rest have room to grow strong.
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Skip the sprays
Pesticides harm the bees you're trying to feed. Pick pests off by hand, or hose aphids off with a gentle spray of water.
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Let a few go to seed
Leave some spent flowers on the plant. Collect the dry seed heads to sow again next season, or let them self-seed.
Bonus tip: put a shallow dish of water with a few pebbles near your flowers. Bees need a safe place to land and drink, especially on hot days.
03 · Our First Collab
How To Plant Yours
From our first collab with Native Seed Box
We teamed up with our friends at Native Seed Box to make our very first plantable seed cards, and here they are out in the wild. Plant yours, snap your seedlings as they grow and share them with us. Your garden could be next on the wall.
04 · Native Bees & The Plants They Love
Meet the locals
Six native bees you're likely to spot this summer, and the flowers that will bring them to your garden.
East coast
Teddy bear bee
Amegilla bombiformis
Round, fluffy and golden-brown. A gentle buzz pollinator that nests in burrows in soft soil banks.
Plants they love
- Westringia
- Hibbertia
- Lavender
- Borage
Queensland & coastal NSW
Sugarbag bee
Tetragonula carbonaria
A tiny black stingless bee that lives in colonies and makes a tangy "sugarbag" honey. Easy to keep in a backyard hive.
Plants they love
- Grevillea
- Tea tree
- Bottlebrush
- Lilly pilly
Australia-wide
Leafcutter bee
Megachile spp.
Cuts neat circles out of soft leaves to line its nest. Carries pollen on the underside of its belly and loves bee hotels.
Plants they love
- Coral pea
- Goodenia
- Emu bush
- Daisies
South-east Australia
Reed bee
Exoneura spp.
Slender and only a few millimetres long. Nests inside dead, pithy stems, so leave a few prunings standing.
Plants they love
- Swan River daisy
- Yellow buttons
- Tea tree
Australia-wide
Masked bee
Hylaeus spp.
Small, sleek and often wasp-like, with bright yellow or white markings on its face. It carries pollen in its stomach.
Plants they love
- Eucalyptus
- Paperbark
- Westringia
- Alyssum
05 · Seed Card & Native Bee FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about your free seed card, native bees and making your garden a better place for pollinators.
How do I get my free seed card?
You don't need to do anything. Every order placed during pollinator week includes a plantable seed card, tucked into your parcel automatically while stocks last. No code needed.
Do I really plant the whole card?
Yes! The card is made from seed paper with flower seeds embedded all the way through it. Soak it for 10 minutes, lay it flat on damp soil, cover it with a thin layer of soil and keep it moist. The paper breaks down into the soil as the seedlings grow.
What if I can't plant it straight away?
Keep your card somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sun. The seeds stay dormant while the paper is dry, so you can plant it when the weather suits. Just don't leave it too long, as seeds are freshest when planted sooner.
Do native bees sting?
Most native bees are gentle and rarely sting unless they're handled or squashed. Many are too small to pierce skin, and stingless bees like the sugarbag bee can't sting at all, which makes them ideal around children and pets.
Why do native bees need help if honey bees are everywhere?
European honey bees arrived in Australia in the 1820s. Native bees were here long before them, and many native plants rely on them for pollination. Some native bees only feed on a few kinds of plants, so losing those flowers can mean losing the bees.
When is the best time to plant my card?
In temperate and cool areas, spring to early summer and early autumn work best. In the tropics, plant during the cooler dry season. If your card arrives during a heatwave, keep it somewhere cool and dry and plant it when temperatures drop.
Can I plant my card in a pot?
Yes, it's perfect for a pot plant or an apartment balcony. Fill a pot with seed-raising mix, lay the card flat on top, cover lightly and place it in full sun. Pots dry out faster than garden beds, so check the soil daily in summer.
How long until I see flowers?
Sprouts usually appear within 1–3 weeks, and the first flowers follow in around 8–12 weeks, depending on your climate and the time of year.
Do I need a bee hotel?
It helps, but most native bees actually nest in the ground. Leave a sunny patch of bare, undisturbed soil without mulch, and a few hollow or pithy stems. Together with a bee hotel, that covers most species.
What is Australian Pollinator Week?
Australian Pollinator Week is held each November to celebrate the insects and animals that pollinate our plants. Join in by planting your seed card, building a bee hotel, or spending ten minutes counting the pollinators that visit your garden.
